We sort, pack and distribute groceries to 17 sites throughout Alameda County.

Today, 200,000 people age 65+ live in Alameda County, a number that is expected to grow to 260,000 by 2020. Food insecurity is an alarming trend in the region, where half of all seniors are unable to make ends meet. High rents in the county—coupled with low incomes and poor health or disabilities—cause seniors to skip meals or choose between food and their lifesaving medications.

“I’ve never had to get free food before, but I need Brown Bag to live. I have no money to buy food.” ­– Clifford

Last year, the Mercy Brown Bag Program distributed 60,000 grocery bags stuffed with more than one million pounds of food to nearly 5,000 hungry seniors. Our team of over 500 senior volunteers donated more than 21,000 hours of their time to help sort, pack and distribute groceries, with each bag containing about 20 pounds of food.

While getting food to seniors in need is our primary goal, we are also compelled to promote change in legislative policy to benefit low-income residents. Join us here!